Falling by the wayside: a phenomenological exploration of perceived breast-milk inadequacy in lactating women

two groups of participants emerged, three who became increasingly confident and empowered by breast feeding and the remaining seven whose confidence progressively diminished, with six of them expressing concern that their breast milk was inadequate. Four major themes related to the participants* perceptions emerged from the analysis: the quest to quantify and visualise breast milk; anxiety regarding the adequacy of their diet; breast feeding as a challenging journey, with most feeling that they had ʹfallen by the wayside* (this related partly to inadequate and conflicting advice given by health professionals); and finally, unmet needs for support, nurturing and replenishment in return for ʹgiving outʹ.